Headlines Tuesday 19th January 2010

=== Todays Toon ===

=== Bible Quote ===
"Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"

He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
Luke 21:7-9 (Now, ask yourself, was it worth voting for Obama or Rudd?)
===

Relief and medical care pour into Port-au-Prince as some desperate Haitians turn to violence in their struggle to survive.

Honoring King With Service
Obama pays tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. by serving meals to the needy as worshippers are urged not to 'sanitize' his legacy

Poll: Coakley Voters Curb Enthusiasm
Despite being thrown a life raft by Obama, Dem Senate hopeful's campaign missing the gusto that GOP rival Scott Brown has generated, polls suggest

China-Google Standoff Heats Up
At least 2 news bureaus say reporters' Gmail accounts hacked, e-mails forwarded to unfamiliar accounts

Newton's Original Manuscripts Going Online

An 18th-century account of how Newton developed the theory of gravity was posted to the Web Monday, making the fragile paper manuscript widely available to the public for the first time.

Apple Tablet, iPhone 4 Launch Confirmed for January 27

Apple just announced an event on January 27th that will no doubt dazzle us with what the company is calling its "latest creation." At the event, Apple will unveil the company's long-rumored tablet device. - I want one - ed.


Prince William last saw Sydney from his mother's arms. As Australia prepares for his arrival today look back at his life so far

Libs finally get some satisfaction
KEVIN Rudd's support falters as Tony Abbott recaptures some of the traditional Liberal base.

Six-year-old struck by hit-and-run moped
A MAN on a moped struck a boy riding a toy scooter on a footpath leaving him with serious injuries.

Lure of internet sees phone bills soar
SMARTPHONE users are seeing their mobile bills soar because of hefty hidden download fees.

Cops crack Lara Bingle car theft case
A 14-YEAR-OLD boy has been charged with the theft of Lara Bingle's $250,000 Aston Martin.

Charged over girl's ecstasy party death
A MAN has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a 19-year-old woman after allegedly overdosing on liquid ecstasy at a party.

Racists bring shame on Aussie tennis
RACIAL tensions cast a sinister shadow over the first day of the 2010 Australian Open.

Taliban launch brazen attack on Kabul
TALIBAN launches bombing campaign as militants battle it out inside a shopping centre.

Sex trap set by rapist, court hears
SHE dreamed of being a model, but a young Sydney woman was lured into a cruel trap and raped by a man posing on the internet as a scout for an international fashion label, a court heard yesterday.
=== Journalists Corner ===

It's the first crucial election of 2010 and Fox is there!
We're on the scene with every development and late-breaking report.
===

The Bottom Line!
How a Republican victory in Massachusetts could save taxpayers nationwide!
===
The Horror in Haiti
As America aids the ravaged region, can U.S. support save the devastated country?
===
Live from Boston!
Could the GOP take the Bay State? Greta goes inside the special election!
=== Comments ===
Helpless Haitians fight for their lives
Piers Akerman
IT is almost impossible for Australians to imagine the horrors of Haiti as we draw water we can drink from our taps and flick electricity switches which we expect to work - I understand that Rudd may have promised some money for Haiti, but he has said nothing on the issue. I recall one former servant to Whitlam recalling when Whitlam didn't appear when Australia nearly lost Melbourne or Darwin to flood or cyclone, "If you want me to deal with them (ALP head office) I have to have my holidays." The UN is worse than ineffective. It's employees die from UN incompetence. It reminds me the first UN chief was an ALP guy. On the issue of the tragedy, the world wants it fixed. A friend of mine made this musical piece to describe the situation, it is called Styx. - ed.
===
Once Again, Great Satan Comes to the Rescue
By Bill O'Reilly
As you may know, anti-American people overseas call the USA the "Great Satan," even though America's record would shame the devil. We have done more good on this Earth than any other nation in history. And once again, the USA has responded big to a disaster taking charge in Haiti, as the American military tries to save as many lives as possible.

President Obama has pledged $100 million to help the Haitian people. That's in addition to the almost $3 billion we've already give that nation since 1992. The Heritage Foundation estimates that before it's all over, the USA will pour another billion dollars into Haiti. That counts military expenditures and infrastructure rebuilding.

By comparison, the benevolent nation of China has pledged a little more than $5 million in cash and aid. I mean, how generous is that?

Russia pledging one mobile hospital and 20 doctors. Putin's another Mother Teresa, isn't he?

That great humanitarian Hugo Chavez in Venezuela is sending one plane full of relief supplies. You know what, Hugo? Keep your stupid plane.

Iran is sending 30 tons of food and medicine, a pittance.

So far, Saudi Arabia, a very wealthy nation, has pledged nothing.

So you can see who the good guy in the world really is. Without America, this planet would really be in a shambles.

But don't tell that to the far left. Danny Glover, who could be a nut, accuses the USA of actually harming Haiti. Unbelievable.

And on the right, there are still people pounding President Obama for reacting quickly to the Haiti earthquake. That's dumb as well.

There is no question that we Americans are the most generous people on Earth. "Talking Points" will predict that private donations from us will top $100 million. That's in addition to our tax money that's being sent.

Also, American corporations like Google and Microsoft have already contributed almost $45 million, and that will go up.

Now if you want to give money to the Haitian people, I suggest the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders or the Haitian Health Foundation. That's a charity "The Factor" has contributed to for years. Information about the Haitian Health Foundation is on BillOReilly.com.

So all in all, the Great Satan has come through again. I remain very proud of my country, and I will challenge anyone who doesn't feel the same way.
===
GLOBAL QUAKING
Tim Blair
Early on Friday morning, a thought struck: has anybody yet been stupid enough to connect the earthquake that has ravaged Haiti with the alleged phenomenon of global warming?

It sounds like a long shot, given that tectonic plate movements have nothing to do with the Earth’s surface temperature. If they were in fact related, recent heatwaves in Sydney and Melbourne would have had many of us buried in post-quake rubble, just like Haiti’s tragic thousands. But you’d be surprised at what people sometimes associate with global warming or climate change.

Everything bad, basically.
===
THE DESPAIR OF ORVILLE SCHELL
Tim Blair
Displaying a gift for comic timing that eludes most former UC Berkeley journalism professors, Orville Schell voices his concern over Himalayan melting – on the very same day that Himalayan non-melting hit the headlines. Take it away, Orville:

Lately, I’ve been studying the climate-change-induced melting of glaciers in the Greater Himalaya. Understanding the cascading effects of the slow-motion downsizing of one of the planet’s most magnificent landforms has, to put it politely, left me dispirited.

So we can see. Orville – who could be a stunt double for a very slender version of the Himalayas, should that unlikely need ever arise – isn’t exactly what you’d call an “up” person:

If you focus on those Himalayan highlands, a deep sense of loss creeps over you - the kind that comes from contemplating the possible end of something once imagined as immovable, immutable, eternal, something that has unexpectedly become vulnerable and perishable as it has slipped into irreversible decline.

No decline is irreversible, Orv. Just ask anyone at the CRU.
===
TRICKY FONTING
Tim Blair
Copenhagen was a debacle. Public cynicism over global warming is increasing. Glaciers aren’t melting on schedule. Scientific credibility erodes. It’s time, people, time for the environment’s greatest champions to take a stand and fight back on the issues that will determine our planet’s future:
As former vice president Al Gore prepared his latest book for publication, he discovered a problem: The font being used in the book made the numeral 1 look like a capital I.
===
HAIR BRAWL
Tim Blair
Hooray for blondes:

Blonde women are more aggressive and determined to get their own way than brunettes and redheads, a study has found …

Aaron Sell, who led the research at the University of California, said: “We expected blondes to feel more entitled than other young women.

“What we did not expect to find was how significantly more warlike they are then their peers.”

They’re more warlike even than redheads? Big claim. This is contrary to my own research on the issue, although it might further fuel Paul Sheehan’s fear of Fox.
===
GREAT MINOR CHALLENGE
Tim Blair
Kevin Rudd emerges from his post-Copenhagen hibernation to lecture us on living standards:

Australians need to work smarter and more efficiently if we want to retain our standard of living, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said last night.

Warning of the demands of an ageing population, Mr Rudd revealed the population would grow from the current 22 million to 36 million by 2050 …

Mr Rudd said public finances would be “burdened” with the increased costs of healthcare, aged care and age pensions.

And with a smaller proportion of Australians in the work force, tax revenues wouldn’t keep pace with those rising costs, he said.

And so on and so forth. Why is Rudd talking about 2050? Interestingly, the great moral challenge of our generation received only the slightest mention – and early, so he could get it out of the way.